And You Thought the Puck that Hit You Was a Hard Shot

Kings at Bruins - 1/30/10
TSN highlight link to the game (you'll see a couple of sweet shoot out goals)


(pay attention to the GREAT organ music - I love that so much more than canned loud stuff)
1:15 - David Brisebois #96 has big-time patience and awareness on line call
2:00 - Mark Stuart, born and bred MN boy,  just destroys Anze Kopitar - Brisebois and #95 Jonny Murray right on the scene
3:00 - Murray gets smoked in the back off an end zone drop.

Question: You got any good (or bad) getting hit by the puck stories?  Once when I was working a Wisconsin vs. Minnesota game, I took a clearing shot that ricocheted funny off the glass partition and hit me in the helmet, right behind the ear.  I got some kind of blood hematoma and right behind my left ear I had this big lump for about 4 days.

How about you?

There are Some Getting in a Frenzy Right Now

Some Hockey Refs are doing a "Push for the Playoffs" right now.

• They are working out when no one is watching.
• They are busting their butt, imagining there is an NHL supervisor in the crowd while they work a Pee Wee B game.
• They are studying other elite refs, to make themselves better.

While some guys are "coasting" and "taking it easy", some guys are bringing some serious blood, sweat, and tears.  You see, the best don't turn it on when the playoffs come, and hope they have a seat on the bus.

The best are bringing it right now.  Because...you are only as good as your last game.

To "Bring It" with the only hockey referee-specific workouts anywhere in the world,  see here:


(Complimentary Video Workout Series coming Summer 2010)

Favre, Babe Ruth, and USA Hockey

I am pumped to talk about these three seemingly unrelated topics - Brett Favre, Babe Ruth, and USA Hockey - and the main reason I am pumped is because it just might have to do with you.

Let's talk about USA Hockey first...

The Winter Olympics are coming up in a few weeks.  I love the Olympics.  I love the hockey tradition of the Olympics.  If you were to ask me about the strongest memories of anything hockey related from when I was a young kid in the early 1980's, I definitely list: (a) East Grand Forks' Section 8 Champion Teams and State Tourney Participants in 1980 and 1982 (damn...didn't the State Tourney seem so totally magical back in those days?!?) - never mind that both teams went "O-fer"...(b) the 1980 and 1982 National Championship UND Sioux teams (damn...I loved Howard Walker), and, of course, the 1980 Miracle on Ice.

Wow...those early 1980's....seemed like all of the teams I cheered for and loved...they were all champions.  Everybody was a winner!  I remember me and all my buddies would pretend to be those guys, playing boot hockey at recess.  We had Jim Craig, Mike Eruzione, et. al.  It was my slice of Americana...my "Normal Rockwell" times.

The USA Hockey team was prepared, determined, and outworked their competition.  And they were highly trained by the master, Herb Brooks.


Next, let's talk about Brett Favre

The guy has one of his best seasons as a 40 year old!  The guy is a trained assasin!  He's a cold-blooded killer!  And I mean all of that in a good way!  He has to be included in the arguments of one the best all time clutch players.  He has something mentally that pushes him to deliver over and over and over and over again.

Prior to this football season, I was a luke-warm Favre guy.  When the Vikings made themselves look like fools, falling all over him to sign him, I was still luke warm.  It wasn't until he destroyed his Green Bay buddies that I really fell in love with the guy.  His competitive nature, that is.

Favre and the 1980 USA Hockey team and training and competition.  Both good things in my eyes.



Lastly, let's talk about Babe Ruth...

Babe Ruth baseball, that is.  I played organized ball all the way through my freshman year.  Back in little ol' East Grand Forks, we never had Varsity baseball (still don't), we just had summer ball.  I played every summer until I got into high school.  I stopped because of an ACL injury and wanting to get a summer job.

That last year of playing Babe Ruth, we had the District tournament in Red Lake Falls, MN (for those of you who watch my videos on UO Teaching Videos, may know that Red Lake Falls played "The Final Countdown" by Europe).  And they played it at that tournament...over...and over...and over again.

Anyway, I played for the EGF A's, which was the best 15 year olds and a couple 14 year olds.  There was one more Babe Ruth team from EGF, which was the EGF Blue Jays, which was the best 14 year olds and a few 15 year olds.  The very last game of organized baseball I ever played was my A's team against the Blue Jays, and the Blue Jays beat us (doh!).  Knocked us out of double elimination.

• They beat us because they had more focus.
• They beat us because they had great coaching (we did, too).
• They beat us because they played with more heart that day.
  

• They beat us because their heart, focus, and coaching put Jason Hearn in centerfield, where he normally played infield, and the mother-effer ran down every bomb we hit into the outfield, including three of mine.  I mean, the only reason I had three fly outs is because Hearn ran down all three of my line drives like a gazelle (the guy was an athlete and played like a champ).  The only reason he didn't snag my fourth hit is because I hit the outfield fence in mid-air, thus limiting me to a 1 for 4 performance.

What does Jason Hearn, Favre, and the 1980 USA Hockey team have in common?

1. Training
2. Competition
3. The Heart of a Champion

And that's exactly what the camp participants form the [Ultimate Officials Early Season Referee Camp] have in common.  I could go on and on, but I think results speak for themselves:

• Helped produce a National Tournament participant and State Tournament participants
  

• Introduced some guys to influential members within the hockey referee world...established contacts and got a few guys on the "radar" (otherwise, they would be the best officials nobody knew about).
  

• Helped get some other referees Bigger and Better games (isn't that what it's all about?!?)...quality regular season games.

• Helped some of them make great gains [physically and mentally!]

• Helped coach some guys to make improvements through video and collaboration be actually watching their games, giving them honest feedback, and mapping out a plan for them.

• And, on a satisfying note for me...started to break the "Good Old Boys Club" (see Good Bye 'Old Boy Network' on the right hand side of this page).
  

 Are You Ready for Success?  Want to be trained for Success?  Want to be in a Competitive Environment that Promotes Success?  Want to have the Heart of a Champion?

The 2010 Ultimate Officials Late Season Referee Camp

(click on the above link)

Or email me: info@ultimateofficials.com -- say, "More Info for Feb Camp!"

The Late Season Referee Camp (Feb through April)

CLICK ON THIS BUTTON TO SUBSCRIBE

    A compare/contrast with Ultimate Officials Camp and a "Garden Variety" Referee Camp:

           The Other Guy*                                                     
Time:       1 Weekend or 6 Days Maximum                          


          Ultimate Officials
Time:         3 Months, during Your Hockey Season, when You are Working Hockey Games that Matter
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         The Other Guy                                                    

Games to Work: A Select Festival or Nothing                         


         Ultimate Officials
Games to Work:    Well...you are working the league you want to conquer, and get playoff/championship assignments.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

         The Other Guy                                                    

Information Taught: Lots and In a Short Time, usually with no chance to improve                      


         Ultimate Officials
Information Taught: Well...the same info, BUT with time to work on and master, with LOTS of Feedback
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         The Other Guy

Instructors: Refs Who Have Been, Done That, but have little or NO teaching background.

        Ultimate Officials
Instructor: Teaching techniques from a Ref who has Been There, Done That & a Master's Degree in Teaching
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        The Other Guy
Curriculum: "One Size Fits All"

        Ultimate Officials
Curriculum: Specific to Your Needs and Goals (Ultimate Officials uses a 'one-of-a-kind' Individualized Referee Plan)**
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        The Other Guy
Feedback: A videotape of games, maybe an eval, and a short 'office hour' where you'll get generic feedback.

        Ultimate Officials
Feedback: All of the same feedback PLUS week by week breakdown with DETAILED & SPECIFIC feedback.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        The Other Guy
Cost: USA Hockey Camp = $80 plus travel
* California Referee School = $335 plus travel
CSHO School = $349 to $475 plus travel
Don Koharski's Camp = $325 plus hotel plus travel
Johnny Murray's Camp = $500 for 1 week/$900 for 2 wks


       Ultimate Officials
Cost: $50 per Month -Total of $150, plus you earn your own Game Fees
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
** Individualized Referee Plan is set up customary for you...your needs, your goals, your gameplan, your desire.

If I Were John Scott...

I'd be 6' 8"...would maybe have a different profession (you know...something like the guy who changes light bulbs without a ladder - poor humor, sorry), and my hand would hurt, too.

Greg Devorski #54 and Mark Pare #79  (over 3,000 NHL games between these two guys!) get some good face time, and ol' Kevin Gorg gets the front row and center:

How Does Your Slapshot Compare?

The Hockey News: Inside player-referee relations

The Hockey News: Justin Bourne's Blog: Justin Bourne’s Blog: Inside player-referee relations
(click on the above link for story)

Posted using ShareThis

I'm not a used car salesman.  I can't think up quick and witty one-liners when coaches ask questions or players protest a call.  And I don't think I need to be.  I think communication as a referee needs a few key ingredients and I  strive to bring these ingredients every game:

1. You have to look the part.  Communication is 55% non-verbal, 38% tone, and only 7% words.  So basically you need to look the part.  My question is, "Do you look like a NHL official?"  None of those guys look like dorks on T.V.  None of them have too short of pants, too tight of a sweater, have stickers on their helmets (especially NCAA stickers - I hate those damn things, if it's not an NCAA game), and none of them have 3 day growth.  Do you look like them?  If you don't, I can almost guarantee you that a coach and the players will look at you decided whether or not you're qualified.  To sum up my point better, look at these two guys:

Who looks like they can do their job better?

2. Hustle.  Plain and simple.  Are you working your butt off for this game or not?  One line I read once was, "When you talk to a captain of a team, you should be have sweat running down your face as much as they have sweat running down their face."  Coaches want to see that you are out there giving your best, because they expect the best from their players.

3. Honesty.  This is realization that I came to after some poor attempts at being "sharp and witty."  I wanted to be the guy who could drop a zinger or two.  I'm not that guy.  You might not be that guy either.  What you can do is talk to the benches, talk to the players often throughout the game.  Be 100% honest.  If a coach is irrate because I didn't make a "hooking" call on a breakaway, I am going to go over and tell him this..."You know what...that looked like a hook, but I feel lucky that I happened to be on the side of the puck carrier to see exactly what was happening with the stick and hands.  I thought that was a great back check and the defenseman got the stick and no hands." (those were the exact words I used in a HS game last night). 

I need to be honest with the coach and tell them what I saw and (a) why I called it a penalty or (b) why I didn't call a penalty.  I don't need fancy one-liners.  Just honesty.

If he can't handle that...well...I have alternatives. (I'll talk about that in my Ultimate Officials Ref Camp - there's a new 3 Month Camp starting Feb 1 through April 30 - email info@ultimateofficials for more info).

This is a Rocket of a Shot and a bit of a Pickle

Talk about situations where you are seriously tested on your rule knowledge and rule application.
(thanks for the video sharing, Mike Trumble)

Take a look:


1. I think that hard of a shot would have been hard for ANYONE (that includes you, Mr. Armchair Referee) to see.
2. Is that really a hook going the other way for a penalty shot?
3. How about Tim Hunter on the Leafs bench.  His face is still tough looking:

4. Somebody once told me, his initials are RL (hahaha), that the NHL guys don't chew gum.  I spy big ol' Van Massenhoven working some Juicy Fruit over...

and

5. The Bottom Line = something like this happens to you, you'll never forget it the rest of your life.  That rule interpretation is now burned into your memory until you die.

Hope you enjoyed that one, and like one of the Ultimate Officials Ref Campers says,

The time is now. Others are talking about burn out. Grab every bigger game you can...this is where we begin to excel!!!

McGwire was Cheating, But The UO Refs Results Are Real

Wow!  Now that was the shocker of the new millennium...I thought that an athlete could get that big by eating Wheaties and doing Body by Jake...

How about some results that are for real (and I put my life on the fact that none of these referees took steroids.  Can you make that claim, Roger Clemens???):

• Ken Thielman lost 20 lbs, shaved 2.5 inches off his waist, and says, "I look better and feel better." (I'd definitely go along with that).

• Neil Missling gained 6 lbs, while shaving 1/2 inch off his waist, and put on muscle as a skinny guy who had challenges getting bigger (and, no steroids!).

• Darren Glur lost 11 lbs, shaved 1 inch off his waistline, and says he "changed a lot of what/when I eat."

• Domenic Zecca lost 28 lbs and claims, "This is just the starting point!"

• Cameron Voss gained 3/4 inch on biceps (I liked to see you do that.  I can help with that, you know) and now routinely cranks out over 40 push ups.

• Nick Biondich gained 5 lbs (another skinny guy who had challenges before) while he shaved 2 inches off his waist!! (Doh!)

• Robert Beckl lost 10 lbs and 1.5 inches off his waist (no steroids).

• Jessica Hahnle lost 11 lbs, 4 inches off her waist (another Doh!), 1+ inch off each thigh, and gained an inch of muscle in her arms (again, no steroids)
  

• Adam Shadiow lost 30 lbs and says this was all possible due to:

1. Social Aptitude (that means hanging around high achievers)
2. Accountability (you need to do what you say you are going to do)
3. External Motivation from a Group of Like-Minded People


 Watch this video again if you are unsure:

• Jessica also said, it was "Absolutely worth the $$$!"

email: info@ultimateofficials.com

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"We Reward Skill"

That was the choice of words mentioned by a high ranking supervisor when asked about the "Spin-O-Rama" in penalty shot/shoot out-type situations.  After some thought about it...I agree.  In a game where goals get harder and harder to come by, and in a game where we reward teams by cheating to play defense rather than opening up offense (see WCHA...oops...did I say that out loud??), it is nice to some something that is downright cool.

Here's my boy, USA born ref Denny LaRue, getting the word from Toronto that "we reward skill.":

Learning Vicariously

Had a discussion with a very smart hockey guy, who tipped me off about this fight from last weekend, check out the fight:


First of all, props go out to Mach (#78) and Nelson (#80), our local boys from up here in the northland...

Second of all, and my point to all of this, is that they referees handled this one very veteran-like....1. they got the "tip" that Rypien was fighting with tape on his and, (2) they used communication like this, "I'm sure that the tape did not cause the cut on his nose, but you're going to have to go, and (3) they used team work, like having Mach tell Rypien that he is out of the game, and then having Nelson initiate the conversation with the Vancouver bench.

You can watch and learn so much by watching other high level referees.  And, you never stop learning (at least I hope not).

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2010 is Here...Ready for a Change?

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Who: Referees Looking for Quality Referee Training and Development Instruction/Feedback/Advice

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When: The Camps are Always Running Continuosly --

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